In 'Karthik Calling Karthik' Deepika plays a down and out, frustrated chain smoker; she had reportedly almost declined the role fearing she might get addicted to cigarrettes. However producer Ritesh Sidhwani suggested that she smoke nicotine free cigarettes during filming, which are less dangerous to health. In the film Deepika's character is a metropolitan girl who is addicted to smoking. Farhan Akhtar's character advises her against it and eventually succeeds in getting her to quit smoking.
As for the film, Sidhwani said, "It's a film about a lovable loser and a modern, hip girl. Farhan makes Deepika quit smoking. So we have a nice message in the end. We didn't want to be responsible for inculcating a bad habit and that's why these organic cigarettes were needed."
According to a source, in real life though, Deepika despises smoking. In fact the very thought of smoking for the film was enough to make her tense. The official synopsis says that 'Karthik Calling Karthik' is the story of a man (Akhtar) who gets phone calls from himself, one never knows what to expect when the clock strikes five, and the phone rings. The film is being directed and written by Vijay Lalwani and will release on 12th February 2010. Farhan Akhtar himself has completely committed to his role as the lonely brooder; during filming he distanced himself from people and even switched off his phone almost entirely. Farhan even had to master solving the Rubik's Cube
Shankar, Ehsaan & Loy have jammed once again for the music with lyrics by Javed Akhtar and cinematography by Sano Varghese. Will 'Karthik Calling Karthik' recreate the magic of Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani's 'Rock On'? The premise seems very interesting indeed. The best part? The film will clash with Shahrukh Khan's big budget 'My Name is Khan', which releases on the same day.
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